Читать книгу The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A–Z of Fantastic Beings from Myth and Magic - John Matthews - Страница 352

The ability of the chameleon to change colour has fascinated people for centuries. Throughout Africa, myths about the wise Chameleon abound. In Zaire, people look upon Chameleon as a shapeshifting god who can appear in many forms. There are a number of stories about Chameleon, all of which are variations on the creation myth.

Since the creator was pleased with the outcome of his efforts, as an after-thought he sent Chameleon down to Earth to tell them that they were not to die for ever but would come back to life like the moon. Chameleon set out but he was very slow. Since no response had come back, the creator sent Hare with the same message. He travelled much faster on his long leaping legs, but he could not remember the words properly, telling people that they would all die for ever. By the time Chameleon arrived it was too late, since the creator’s message cannot be altered after it has been delivered. The moral of the story is that it is best to make haste slowly

The chameleon was the model for all messengers who, in the days before a postal service, had to run from place to place with important tribal messages from their chiefs. Among the Zulu, the chameleon is known as Unwabu or ‘Mr Slow’.